Chapter 44
Safe
Evelyn dreamed that she was trapped in the underground bar during the explosion and someone had blocked the exit.
Haydn lurked in one corner and stared at her, seemingly oblivious to the chaos around them.
Evelyn choked on the smoke and couldn’t hear herself think over the screams of the injured.
Her magic wasn’t working, so she couldn’t do anything about the flames.
One by one, bottles of alcohol on the wall burst open from the heat.
Glass shattered and the fire spread. Evelyn followed the sound of Damien screaming.
He was kneeling on the floor beside Angelina.
Her whole body was engulfed in flames and she convulsed like she was having a seizure.
Damien’s hands caught on fire while he tried to hold her steady.
“Wake up, Princess.”
Evelyn cried out as she jerked awake. She sat up in bed, half expecting it to be on fire.
Damien rushed toward her. “It was a nightmare.” He brushed her hair back and cupped her face. “You’re safe. I promise.” His skin was warm but not covered in flames.
She put her hands over his. “You’re okay!”
“Of course I am,” he said gently.
“But you weren’t! There was so much fire!”
Understanding crossed over his face. “You were in the bar.”
She nodded, unable to say more. Damien leaned his forehead against hers.
“It’s over, Evelyn,” he soothed. “There’s no fire. We’re safe.”
She closed her eyes and slowed her breathing to match his.
Damien is okay. I didn’t lose him.
After a minute or so, she fell back onto her pillow.
“I’m sorry, Princess,” Damien said, “but I need you to get up now.”
“It’s still dark,” she whined. “What time is it?”
“Almost dawn. You have an early appointment with Gabrielle.”
Evelyn pulled the blanket all the way over her head.
“Don’t be a brat,” Damien warned. “I’ve spent two centuries with younger sisters. You won’t win this fight.”
She heard footsteps, then the sound of running water.
If he dumps me in a cold bath, I will absolutely set him on fire, nightmares be damned.
The plush duvet started moving and she assumed Damien was ripping it off the bed. But the duvet wrapped tightly around her, trapping her inside a warm cocoon. She was lifted by magic and set upright on the floor with only her head and feet visible.
Evelyn glared. “This is your plan? Rolling me in bedding?”
“You have a choice,” Damien said patiently. “I will release you if you agree to take a bath and get dressed. Or you can stay in the blanket and your guards will carry you downstairs.”
“Have you forgotten Gabrielle wants to kill me? You’re going to deposit me behind enemy lines without any way to defend myself?”
“She understands that you are not to be harmed.”
“Understanding and agreeing are not the same thing.”
“Magalie will supervise. I would do it myself, but I don’t want to.”
“I thought wedding gowns were your secret passion.”
Damien smirked. “Not wedding gowns, just overly sexual funeral dresses.”
Evelyn groaned. “Please don’t remind me. I’m scared to see what Gabrielle will put me in next.”
“She won’t sabotage a royal wedding.”
“How do you know?”
“Gabrielle has her own reputation to protect. I doubt she wants to be thrown out of the palace.”
“Can I do that?”
“No. Now, are you going to cooperate or do you need to be carried?”
She glanced down at how she had been swaddled. “I admit defeat.”
Damien waved a hand to loosen the duvet. “You have thirty minutes,” he said before leaving the room.
Evelyn shivered at the sudden loss of warmth around her. She hurried into the bathroom, where the tub was filled with hot water.
Maybe Damien isn’t so bad.
The dress fitting was fast. Gabrielle didn’t say a word, but the assistants understood the meaning behind every subtle movement. No one asked for Evelyn’s opinion, and she didn’t dare share one.
Afterward, Evelyn went downstairs with Rory and Simon. It wasn’t quite time for breakfast yet, but she decided to at least get some tea.
Just as Evelyn was about to open the kitchen door, she heard her name.
“Can you fucking believe he picked Evelyn?”
I don’t recognize that voice. He must be a guard or kitchen staff. I can hear other people prepping food farther back in the kitchen.
“To be fair,” a second man said, “it was obvious he didn’t like Hannah.”
The first man laughed. “What a choice for a prince to make, huh? The prude princess or her slutty sister?”
Evelyn put a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp.
Is that how they see Hannah and me? Are we a joke to them?
“You can’t say shit like that anymore. Alexander is a king now, so Evelyn will be the queen.”
“Ah, yes. Queen Evelyn! Her Majesty, the Royal Whore!”
Anger and embarrassment warred inside of her. Rory tapped on Evelyn’s shoulder, but she ignored him.
“Keep your fucking voice down before someone hears you!” the second man continued. “Is there such a thing as low treason?”
“Who even cares? It’s not like she’s been discreet. You saw her and Alexander kissing under that tree the other day. She disappeared on the beach with that guy from Lochmatten. One guess as to what they were up to!”
“For real, shut up! You did hear Fontaine threaten all of us, right?”
“He’s the worst one! One of Hannah’s guards says Fontaine is in Evelyn’s room all the time!”
“You don’t know what they’re doing!”
Rory put a hand on her shoulder and hissed, “Princess! You need to leave!”
I know he’s right. If I’m not brave enough to open the door and set them on fire, I should at least stop listening.
But Evelyn couldn’t make herself go.
“I heard one of the maids say her bed linens were filthy yesterday morning, if you know what I mean,” the first man said.
“That’s disgusting!”
“Who do you think it was? The king or the captain or the councilor?”
“That’s none of our business! We’re supposed to make sure no one dies. That’s been happening a lot recently, if you haven’t noticed.”
“Maybe the new queen will reward each guard for a job well done. Do you think she’ll call us to her room one at a time, or just bend over her new throne while we wait in line?”
Evelyn fled down the hallway and up the stairs. Tears blurred her vision.
Is that what everyone thinks of me? That I’m a whore marrying a king?
She accidentally knocked into Damien on the second floor landing, where he had been talking with Nicolas.
“Evelyn?” Damien grabbed her arms to steady her. “What’s wrong?”
“Don’t touch me!” she snapped, pulling away from him.
The king or the captain or the councilor?
“Why are you crying?” he asked. “What happened?”
Evelyn shook her head and tried to go around him, desperate to hide in her room, but he blocked her path.
Nicolas put a comforting hand on her back. “You’re safe here, Princess.”
Damien and Nicolas aren’t my enemies. That asshole downstairs is.
Rory cleared his throat. “Captain?”
Damien’s head shot up, then he and the guard walked partway down the hall. Evelyn couldn’t hear their whispers, but she expected Rory was explaining what had happened.
Queen Evelyn! Her Majesty, the Royal Whore!
“Who the fuck was it?” Damien demanded, no longer bothering to be quiet.
“I don’t know, sir,” Rory said apologetically. “I’m not familiar with all of the Gryon guards.”
“Simon!” Damien shouted at the other guard. “Give me a name!”
“Denis.” Simon spat the name like a curse. “Luc Denis.”
“Fucker. I should’ve guessed. Who was he talking to?”
“Gage.”
Damien marched down the stairs with a growl.
Evelyn spun to follow him. “What are you doing?”
“Finding Denis.”
“You don’t need to do anything!”
“Yes, I fucking do.”
“Damien, stop! I don’t want—”
He whipped around. “You are going to be the queen tomorrow, Evelyn. Members of your own Royal Guard don’t get to say shit like that and live.”
Damien rushed down the rest of the stairs and through the hallway. Evelyn hesitated at the door to the dining room, not wanting to go near the kitchen again.
“Where the fuck is Denis?” Damien yelled at the kitchen staff.
Evelyn couldn’t hear their answer, but Damien reappeared in the hall and headed for the front door. Simon and Rory prevented Evelyn from following him.
“Captain Fontaine can handle it, Princess,” Simon told her.
Leo walked out of the ballroom. “What’s going on?”
“There’s been some trouble with a guard this morning, Your Majesty,” Simon explained. “Captain Fontaine is addressing it now.”
“What kind of trouble?” Leo raised Evelyn’s chin. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head, then followed him into the ballroom, where her father was also waiting. Simon, Rory, and Nicolas joined them.
“What’s all the commotion?” King Tristan asked.
“I’m not sure yet,” Leo replied.
This is humiliating. I don’t want the whole palace to know what the man said about me.
“I didn’t fucking do anything!” an angry voice screamed from the hallway.
Damien strode into the ballroom. Behind him, two soldiers dragged in a guard, presumably Luc Denis. Another pair of soldiers escorted a second guard, who must be Gage.
Evelyn left Leo to stand with Nicolas against the wall. It felt safer, somehow, like she was out of the line of fire.
The two soldiers shoved Denis to the floor, forcing him to kneel in front of Leo and King Tristan. Damien stood next to Denis, arms folded over his chest and feet shoulder-width apart. Gage was held off to the side.
“I need an explanation, Damien,” Leo said.
“This vile piece of shit was overheard insulting Princess Evelyn.” Despite the profanity, Damien maintained a professional tone.
Leo looked confused. “Overheard by who?”
“The princess herself, as well as her guards.”
“She’s a fucking liar!” Denis yelled.
Damien swiftly kicked Denis in the stomach before facing the kings again.
“What kind of insults?” Leo wanted to know.
“The kind I am not willing to repeat in front of her father.”
“And you are certain it was this man?” King Tristan asked.
“Yes,” Damien confirmed. “One of Evelyn’s guards was able to identify him.”
“What about him?” Leo asked, nodding at Gage.
“He was the other half of the disgusting conversation. But I was told he didn’t make any offensive comments of his own. Magalie can deal with him.”
Leo pointed at Denis. “What do you suggest for this one?”
“Oh, I’m not suggesting anything. I am going to kill him,” Damien announced.
The friends exchanged a long look before Leo spoke. “Do it now.”
In one fluid motion, Damien removed his longsword from the scabbard on his back and sliced through Denis’s neck.
The guard’s head tumbled to the floor, landing on his nose with a sickening crunch before rolling away.
His chest fell forward and blood poured from his exposed neck, staining the white marble tiles.
King Tristan retreated several steps farther than was necessary.
Damien wiped his sword clean on the dead man’s tunic.
Evelyn couldn’t breathe as she stared at the body. Beside her, Lord Nicolas appeared paler than usual but not exactly shocked.
I’ve never seen a beheading before. I know they happen sometimes, especially for crimes against a royal family. But I was never present for any of them in Carrowmore. Even if I’d wanted to, Father wouldn’t have allowed it.
Damien killed a man… for me. What the fuck am I supposed to do about that?
And why did Leo agree to it? He didn’t even check in with me to see what I wanted.
At least Damien had the whole story and made a decision.
I really believe Damien wouldn’t have done it if I had intervened. Leo didn’t consider me at all.
Damien addressed the soldiers flanking Gage. “Take him to Magalie’s office. Let the commander know there’s a vacancy on her staff.”
“Get this cleaned up,” Damien told the nearest innocent guard.
The man blanched. “What do we do with the body?”
“Burn it.”
Damien caught Evelyn’s eye, watching for her reaction. His words from a few days ago came back to her: “I will always protect you, Princess.”
He meant it.
How much did Rory tell him about what the man said? Did Damien hear that my bedsheets were dirty after Haydn’s visit? If he repeats that detail to Leo, I don’t know how I can explain it.
Leo took Evelyn’s hand before she could say anything to Damien. Giving the scene of execution a wide berth, they left the ballroom through the back doors. Evelyn ran toward the ocean as soon as they were past the patio.
Is this my fault? The man was disgusting, but most of what he said was true. I kissed Leo while he was supposedly courting Hannah. I slept with Haydn in secret. I haven’t done anything with Damien, but he is in my room often. Of course all of that would look suspicious.
I got a man killed for judging me. I was upset, and Damien reacted to me. If I had handled it better, would the man still be alive?
She kicked off her shoes and waded into ankle-deep water, imagining the gentle waves washing blood off her feet. Leo took longer to remove his boots and roll up his trousers before joining her.
“Is this what life is like for a queen?” she asked.
“Harassment and beheadings? Not every day.”